


The Golden Thread

by Darksinokaru



Category: One Piece
Genre: Bottom Zoro, Canon-Typical Violence, Comedy, Foul Language, M/M, Pre-Time Skip, Romance, Typical Shenanigans, Uke Zoro, it's all Sanji's fault, sanzo - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2019-07-25 23:29:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16207922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darksinokaru/pseuds/Darksinokaru
Summary: Everyone's heard of the red string of fate, of that destined intertwining of two souls. Many spend their whole lives searching for that one special someone. But when it comes to a certain grumpy swordsman and perverted cook, they are about to be introduced to the gold thread of fate. And no matter how much they may try to fight it, they cannot deny the divine thread of gold that binds their pinkies together. Even if it means maybe killing each other a few times.Sanji/Zoro





	1. A chain of Gold

**Author's Note:**

> For those who have read from me before: I'm honestly a little scared posting. DX But I'm feeling a strengthening in my focus for writing (super bad focus and struggling drive despite the existing desire)! The chapters are short (so far), but I have roughly five chapters already done up and I've begun writing on a new chapter for Hunger, and I actually feel confident that I can write it up without it being a forceful push, which makes me really happy. Perhaps I can finally officially feel like I'm coming back! XD But, I'm going to try really hard not to stress out or push myself, which is one of the reasons why the chapters for this or anything else right now will probably be sorta short. Short chapters help keep me from feeling too stressed and cooperate with troubled focus, but hopefully, I can get back to the lengths I was writing pre-injury. And as for that... I have to figure out how to talk about that... if anyone is even curious. Let me know I guess? idk. lol Suffice to say, things aren't great, but SO GOOD! But, that's neither here nor there, I'm rambling cuz I'm nervous and feel bad for being so absent and not able to update any fics. DX But, this fic has been really a welcome start. And it makes me excited for the future!
> 
> Anyway... I hope that everyone that has decided to check this fic out enjoys~ 
> 
> I do not own One Piece or any of its related materials.

If anyone had ever even so much as suggested that he was going to find himself in his current situation, Zoro not only wouldn't have believed it, he would have been downright offended just by the suggestion. And he was fairly certain the cook felt the same. After all, who the fuck wanted to be literally stuck to someone else, especially that damned ero-cook! Zoro glared daggers at the thick glowing golden thread that was wrapped around his pinky finger, his narrowed eyes following thread across the distance of a few feet before going up to where it was attached to another pinky. The chef gave him a sidelong glance, a frown marring his features as he puffed out a ring of smoke.

"What?" the blonde groused while Zoro's eyes narrowed further as he settled his gaze onto the cook's face. Sanji's expression tensed in irritation as he pulled from off of the rail he had been leaning on.

"You gotta problem?" Sanji asked with a hiss. Zoro grunted and pointed down at the thread that was stuck to his pinky. The blonde's curled brow twitched as he gave an annoyed snort and looked away.

"So what, it's old news," the chef declared flatly and Zoro crossed his arms over his muscle thick chest with another grunt as he raised his chin. He could still clearly remember how just five minutes ago the blonde had been wailing and trying to explain to the girls that it wasn't what it looked like only to be brushed off, which immediately deflated the chef. After stomping around and bitching for five minutes Sanji then lit up and leaned on the railing.... point was, it really wasn't old news.

"Do you think that old hag will be back tomorrow?" Zoro asked as he leaned back on his elbows on the rail as he let his legs slide forward. 

"She had better. I am not spending more than one night stuck to another guy!" Sanji snapped before gesturing to Zoro with his cigarette like he was something gross. "Especially a smelly marimo bastard like you," he declared and Zoro glared sharply at him as his mouth snapped open, teeth sharp as knives as he countered. 

"It's not like it's my fault! You're the one who had to talk to that old woman!" Zoro shouted as Sanji stubbed his cigarette out and turned sharply to face the swordsman.

"I was asking for my love fortune to be told! And she wasn't old!" he defended. Zoro shot up and faced the blonde, pointing at the thread once again with a nasty glare on his face.

"And then this happened! Moron! If you had just kept to yourself then none of this would be happening!" Zoro shouted back as the two stepped up and smashed their heads together before starting an odd battle to see who could push whose head back.

"Man, it must be tiring to be so idiotic," Nami sighed as she came up the steps, which caught the blonde's ear. Sanji suddenly pivoted from Zoro and put his hands together as red rushed to his cheeks, only enhancing the goofy smile on his face.

"Ah, Nami-swan~ Is there something you need?" he asked as he wiggled his hips, which drew a disgusted look from Zoro as he stared at the blonde before looking at his finger.

"Maybe I really should just cut it off," he muttered. 

After finding himself having to be dragged into the kitchen, Zoro tried to stay out of the way as the Chef danced his damned love-struck moves while he prepared a drink for the greedy she-devil. The gold string that bound them together was the oddest thing Zoro had ever encountered. Nothing they did to it affected it, his swords just cut right through, and by through, it was like his blade had simply passed through. It was almost like it wasn't real, they could walk and move around in any way they wanted to and there was no risk of tripping or getting caught. However, the string reacted to distance like it would if it were a real, tangible thing. It was illogical. As a result, Zoro and Sanji had not been able to be more than five feet from each other since the afternoon in the seaside town they had stopped at to restock.

Zoro had smelled the suspiciousness just from being near that narrow alleyway. And as he looked in, he saw a mysterious woman wearing a cloak sitting at a table with a crystal ball. It had looked phony as hell, and he had been perfectly happy to walk on by, but the blonde behind him had been caught as soon as the old woman spoke.

"I can tell your love fortune! You want to know who your string of fate links you to?" she had called and the blonde zoomed in. Zoro would have been happy to go on ignoring the blonde's stupidity when it came to romance, but some minutes later he had felt something pinch around his pinky. Curiously he had lifted his hand and looked at his finger where he could see something glowing and golden wrapped around it and as he followed the golden line he gave a gasp when he felt a forceful tug the likes of which he had never known. Zoro had tried to stop it, grabbed his hand, his pinky, dug his heels in, but he was just dragged all the way back to where the shady hag had been, and there it was, the other end of the thread, wrapped around the cook's. It was all his fault! Zoro glared at the blonde for the umpteenth time, and as Nami exited the galley with her drink the blonde immediately returned the look.

"You wanna start somethin'?" he asked. Zoro grunted and looked away. There was no point in fighting, not when they were stuck so close together. And besides, fighting would be too difficult while pushed so close together. 

"Whatever, are you done? I'm tired," Zoro grumbled and the blonde huffed.

"Well, what do we do then?" Sanji asked as he crossed his arms over his stomach and leaned his hip against the counter. Zoro frowned, at a complete loss. The string was... not exactly long enough even with their sleeping in the same bunk. The idea of sleeping with the cook was the last thing he wanted, especially with how damned infuriated he was that they were in this mess!

"Shit, well, we could sleep in the lookout," the blonde grumbled, his expression turning more and more sour as he spoke before reaching into his pocket and retrieving a cancer stick.

"Cook, don't you dare," Zoro declared and the blonde froze, eyes going wide before realization and horror mixed into his expression.

"Oh, fuck! You're telling me I can't smoke! I did like, not even a half hour ago!" Sanji yelled and Zoro bristled, teeth gnashing together.

"That was outside! You are not smoking here where I can't get any fresh air!" Zoro shouted back and the blonde puffed up and opened his mouth before he was cut off. "You may not give a shit about your lungs, but I do! I don't wanna breathe that shit any more than I have to!" he finished and the blonde's face reddened with anger as a series of short, angry sounds emitted from his lips as he stuffed the carton into his breast pocket, looking about ready to kick something.

"Fine, fucking marimo baby," the blonde bit out, and though he felt the tickle in his chest, Zoro resisted the urge to pick a fight in response. "We'll sleep in the lookout. By the way, I get to sleep on the seats, you can sleep on the floor," the blonde declared as he turned, intent on heading toward the galley door, and though Zoro's back straightened in indignation, his teeth grinding with a glare in his eyes, he gave a forceful grunt and stomped after the blonde. Fighting was not worth it. Fighting was not worth it. But when they figured out how to get out of this mess, the cook was fucking dead!


	2. Adjustment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trying to survive until they can be separated shouldn't be too hard, right? Perhaps someone was too optimistic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! A new chapter here! I hope that it's enjoyed! And thank you so much to those of you who came back and showed me support on the first chapter. It really means a lot. Thank you!
> 
> And without further ado, I hope that there are some laughs in here.
> 
> I do not own One Piece or any of its related materials.

"Stop doing that!" Sanji hissed as he shot up into a sitting position and glared down at the swordsman who grunted and turned a glare over his shoulder before intentionally jerking his arm forward, yanking on the chef's hand who gasped when he nearly tipped over to the side. A snarl hit the back of the blonde's grit teeth as he lifted his bare foot and loomed it over the swordsman's head who glared daggers up at the offending limb, teeth grinding.

"You're the one who was yanking on it!" Zoro shouted and both bristled as the attempted to stomp the swordsman's head, but his target sat up quickly in a dodge. Zoro sat, legs crossed his hands gripping his knees tightly as he leaned forward, a cat ready to strike. Sanji put his feet to the floor, hands settling onto the edge of the seats as he too stuck his chin out, glaring at the man on the floor.

"Was not! Shitty swordsman!" Sanji hissed.

"Liar! I was feeling you yanking on it the entire time! I'm sick of it! I don't need to know what you do to yourself in bed!" Zoro shouted and the blonde's eyes shot open wide before he lurched forward, hands outstretched and search for one particularly thick neck. Zoro gasped, jerking backward in his surprise before losing balance and falling onto this back as the blonde climbed over him, open fingers flexing as the swordsman lifted his legs and blocked the blonde at the waist with his feet.

"Damn you!" Sanji snarled.

"Ero-cook!" Zoro shouted in return.

"Just let me kill you! It will only hurt for a moment!" Sanji shot back.

"Like hell, you could kill me! I'll kill you first, shit head!" Zoro threatened when a bucket suddenly launched up over them and smacked into the chef's head, knocking him off of the swordsman and to the floor, leaving him a stunned and twitching position. 

"Shut-up! Everyone can hear you!" Nami screamed viciously before another bucket came up and Zoro rolled to the side to avoid the projectile but got caught when the thread pulled taught from the blonde's stunned body locked him in place.

"Be quiet!" Nami ordered before the latch closed and the two were left in quiet silence. 

"This is all your fault," Zoro grumbled, followed only by a low, woozy groan from the blonde. 

The following morning Zoro followed after Sanji, both dragging their feet. Hair disheveled, well, Zoro's looked more or less like usual. Pale in the face, dark bags under their bloodshot eyes. Both kept shifting and moving their shoulders and necks, trying to work out all the soreness they found in their muscles.

"Just shut up and let me work," Sanji bemoaned as he walked into the kitchen, swordsman ever present at his backside. Finding the spot he had leaned against the day before, Zoro did so and crossed his arms over his chest before putting his head down. Sanji's energy picked up once he combed his hair and drank some water before beginning the task of making breakfast. In fact, the blonde's mood had picked up considerably before he realized with a gasp that his hand suddenly slid over toward the swordsman. Immediately the chef jerked a suspicious glare toward the swordsman to find the man suspended sideways, his connected arm pulled out into the air from where it connected to the blonde's own suspended arm. The glare that tightened his features as Zoro snored, oblivious to what trouble he was causing. The blonde stared, thinking as his foot twitched to kick the man, but he didn't want to do that in his kitchen with everything out and being used. Shit!

"Wow! Sanji! I didn't know you knew magic!" the cry of Chopper drew a surprised little gasp from the chef who turned toward the reindeer to find him at the threshold of the kitchen, staring at the two.

"You're making Zoro float!" he cried and the blonde's cheeks flushed red. Magic? Couldn't he see the damned thread? Wait! Of course, no one could see the gold thread! So, naturally it would look like Zoro was floating, and with Sanji's hand pointed at him, it would perhaps appear that he was performing a magic trick. The cook gave a nervous, excessive laugh as he nodded perhaps too energetically at the small doctor.

"Yes! Marimo levitation!" Sanji cried as he finally decided to move forward, easing his arms down as he did so to put Zoro down on the ground, hearing the awed gasp from Chopper as he did so. Walking up to Zoro so that the thread was lax again, the blonde turned to the chef and pressed his index finger to his lips as he faced Chopper.

"It's a secret though, okay? Don't tell anyone," he urged and Chopper's cheeks pinked as he nodded.

"Okay! I'll keep it a secret!" he cheered before turning and heading back out, which made the cook wonder why Chopper had come into the galley to start with if he hadn't intended to sit and wait for breakfast. But! It was a mercy he needed! Sanji turned a dirty look toward the swordsman, glaring at his wide, open mouth snores. The idea of stuffing his show into the man's mouth came into mind, and for a guilty moment the idea had been entirely too appealing, but knowing he'd still be stuck to the swordsman afterword, who would likely actually _try_ to kill him, he crouched down and grabbed the man's shoulder even as an ominous black aura began to emanate from around his body.

"Oi! Shit-head! Wake up!" Sanji snapped, only earning a loud, short snorted which made the blonde's expression darken before deciding to stand and pull a leg back. With a deep frown and twitching eyebrow, his foot came forward, connecting with Zoro's ass, which jolted the man awake with a shout. 

"The fuck?!" Zoro shrieked before realizing what had just been done to him and jumped to his feet, bashing his forehead into the blonde's as both ground their teeth at one another while pushing against one another.

"I should fucking cut you," Zoro hissed dangerously and the blonde felt his anger want to shoot up higher yet. But! He had breakfast to finish! Dammit!

"You fell asleep and caused me trouble, marimo-shit! I'm owed an apology!" he returned venomously. 

"Breakfast!" Came the shout with the boom of the galley door bursting open. Both men jumped apart when in came Luffy, followed by everyone else, who all froze when they beheld an empty table.

"What? Where's breakfast?" Luffy asked as shock and horror took hold of his face while the other stared, in shock. Sanji panicked, shooting over toward the stove, which yanked Zoro to move after him as he immediately went back to work.

"Sorry, everyone! There's been some issues this morning! But I'm almost done!" Sanji cried, after which he threw another nasty look at Zoro grunted as he resumed his earlier position, but this time deciding to watch the blonde so as to keep himself from closing his eyes and falling asleep. All the while acknowledging, he had actually been the one to fuck up there. But still! Did he have to kick his ass?! A dark cloud began to emanate from around Zoro as he thought about the injustice.


	3. Their Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sanji and Zoro set out to find the woman who tethered them together to learn their fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! New chapter out! I hope everyone enjoys the new chapter! I wonder when I'll stop feeling so rusty. DX
> 
> I do not own One Piece or any related materials.

"I learned something this morning," Sanji declared as the pair walked through the portside town streets, intent on heading back to where the old fortune woman was. Zoro gave a grunt and the blonde made a face.

"You know, there is such a thing as vocabulary," he chastised and Zoro turned a glare at him, which the blonde matched before he looked away and heaved a sigh. It was best not to fight. At least not until the damned thread was off their fingers. What a joke this whole thing was. Sliding a cigarette between his lips and lighting up, Sanji took a drag, feeling the smoke fill his lungs and calm him with a rush of nicotine. 

"What did you learn?" Zoro finally asked, drawing a glance from the chef. Why did that damn marimo bastard have to be so difficult all the time?

"This?" Sanji said as he lifted his pinky up in gesture to the thick golden thread that hung from off of it. "No one can see it," he informed and Zoro's froze a moment, halting their progress, eyes blown open wide in his shock.

"Wait, really?! Like, all the weird shit we've been dealing with, no one can see why?!" Zoro gasped and the blonde nodded with a bitter look in his eyes.

"Yeah," he affirmed and Zoro put his face in his hands before running them up through his hair and dropping at his sides. 

"Oh, shit. We must have looked so dumb," the swordsman grunted and Sanji nodded in return. Without a doubt, which made the blonde grimace. What did the ladies think of his antics all day? The way he had tried to explain himself, it must have sounded like absolute gibberish, which was quite humiliating in retrospect. 

"Yeah, Chopper thinks I know magic now," Sanji interjected, which drew a confused expression on Zoro's face.

"Eh?" Zoro sounded and Sanji sighed.

"When you fell asleep. You were hanging in their air cuz of this stupid thread. Chopper saw you sorta floating there and cuz of how my arm was, thought I was practicing a magic trick. I didn't know what to say and so I just agreed. All the while telling him not to tell anyone, of course," the blonde explained and Zoro's expression fell as he crossed his arms under his muscle bulked chest, frowning. 

"Damn. I really hope that witch can remove this damn thing," Zoro declared as they began walking again. 

"She wasn't a witch. She was a fortune teller," Sanji corrected and the swordsman gave a grunt.

"Right. Who can cast weird spells," he shot back. "If you had just minded your own business-"

"Would you stop hanging that over my head! I get it! It's my fault! Though I think it's unreasonable for me to expect what is usually a harmless divination to cause all of this trouble!" Sanji spat. The two exchanged a long heated glare before looking away. Zoro gave another grunt and the two fell into tense silence as they continued their walk. An hour later found the swordsman brooding heavily with Sanji's nerves wearing thin due to all of negative energy surrounding the man. It wasn't like he wasn't fucking miserable too!

"Dammit! Where is it?!" Sanji hissed as they walked, their steps quicker with Sanji's growing impatience as they walked down road after road, peeking into every narrow ally nook they could find. All the while, Zoro's expression had fallen into a darker and more foreboding glare that the blonde felt burning into his back, which only made him even more anxious as the time ticked by without a sighting. Why did he have to take all the heat?! Fucking, unfair marimo shit head! 

"Cook, if we don't find her-"

"Shut-up! We will!" Sanji snapped breathlessly he took charge, dragging Zoro rapidly through the town, even into the shadier parts that made the swordsman tighten his hold on his swords. Zoro glanced every which way, glaring off anyone that emanated an unsettling aura. Perhaps it was best to go back to the better side of town or try again later.

"Cook!" Zoro called, making the blonde's blood run hotter as he dragged them down the streets, at times nearly breaking into a jog until with a gasp, he came to a sudden halt. Something just off to his left caught his eyes, and as Sanji turned his head, his wide eyes stared into the darkened alley where there was a shrouded figure sitting at a table before a crystal ball. The head lifted and a dangle of light pink hair fell from beneath the hood, prompting Sanji to yank his hand forward in recognition as he pointed.

"You! I found you!" Sanji cried, drawing Zoro up to his back who also looked in. 

"Hello," the woman greeted as the pair walked briskly up to the woman and stopped, the tension in their shoulders visible. 

"Don't just 'hello' us, you need to undo what you did," Zoro spoke up as the chef collected himself, popped another cigarette into his mouth and lit up. 

"Excuse me?" the woman said as she lifted her head up more and squinted up at Sanji's exasperated expression. Dark blue eyes then lit up and the woman smiled.

"Oh, yes! The swirly browed man from yesterday!" she called and the blonde twitched, expression falling somewhat knowing that his eyebrow had been his identifiable feature and nothing else. What about his good looks? His chivalrous nature?

"I see you've been tethered to that rather broodish looking man behind you. Congratulations!" the woman declared and Sanji's gagged on his own spit, nearly losing his cigarette as Zoro gave a low grunt in response.

"Th-this isn't!" the blonde began but stopped himself, putting his hand over the upper half of his face and taking a deep breath before lowering his hand and once again looking at the woman.

"Look, when we talked yesterday, I had wanted to know who my true love was. Now there's this golden thread!" he cried. It was an accident, right? Surely this was a goof that could easily be undone! And besides... besides! "And... there must have been some mistake! This man, cannot be my true love!" Sanji pleaded as he pointed at Zoro who turned a sharp look at his back. "And even worse, after this thread appeared you just vanished! And I don't mean to be rude, but you made a mistake! You had to have!" he added and the woman heaved a sigh as she clasped her hands together on the table before her. 

"This always seems to happen. People never think things through. But I'm afraid the error is not with me," she began and Sanji's face soured sharply like he'd just swallowed a handful of salt as Zoro walked to stand at his side.

"Look, woman, will you fix it or not?" he asked. The woman sighed again.

"No. I cannot. I ate the fate fate fruit when I was a girl and discovered that I had the ability to read people's fates. You came to ask me who your true love is," the woman explained as she lifted her finger and pointed at Zoro who twitched awkwardly as a red dusted his cheeks. 

"You've heard of the red string of fate, I'm sure. There are many people who are tethered to you through your red string of fate as there is actually, despite common belief, many red strings. And you do, have many options for love through your red strings," she explained, and with a snap of her fingers, Sanji gasped while Zoro gaped when multiple glowing red strings attached to their pinkies formed and spilled out of the alley. "All of these people would be able to love you and you would have a life of joy and love. But," she said as she snapped again and the threads vanished. "You asked for who your true love is. There is only one, true love. And it just so happens to be this man right here," she said as she pointed to Zoro who tensed before he marched up to the table, face bright red while Sanji frowned, brows drawing up together in dismay.

"You mean to tell me, we are stuck together?!" Zoro snapped.

"You are his true love, and he is yours," the woman declared patently as Zoro began to ground his teeth together.

"But! He's the pervy cook! He gushes and noodles over every woman he sees! And... And... What the hell makes you think you have control over my fate?! I decide my fate!" Zoro gasped.

"I'm sorry. Fate is real. He is your true love, and you are his. You two will have a love that would and will trump all others. There is a misconception that true love is easy, because it is ordained by a destiny that cannot be shook, but that is not true. In fact, more often than not, there is more obstacle and many more trials to claim one's, true love. But by coming to me, you've actually eliminated the hardest part. Most everyone in the entire world never finds their one true love. The love that if lost, would literally kill them. You don't realize just how lucky you two are," she finished. The trio went silent, the two men mulling over the information in their heads for a long moment before Zoro spoke again, calmer but clearly perturbed.

"Fine, so, he's my true love?" he asked and the woman nodded.

"What was the point of asking that again?" Sanji turned to ask and Zoro grunted.

"I'm trying to understand exactly what our situation is since you've decided to go into stunned silence," the first mate said and Sanji gave a huff as he sucked on his cigarette and let out a puff of smoke.

"I was THINKING! And besides, an idiot like you can't understand anything with that moss brain!" the blonde hissed, earning a nasty glare from the swordsman whose hand tightened on the hilts of his swords.

"Oi! You lookin' to start a fight!?!" Zoro hissed. The blonde turned toward the swordsman, shoulders tensing as the urge to fight, to kick and lash out rapidly built up within the chef. It wasn't fair. This wasn't supposed to happen! How could this be?! Zoro?! His true love?! A brute of a man?! Why did she have to have a devil fruit power?! Why couldn't he have somehow psychically known?! It just wasn't fair!

Zoro glared heatedly, teeth grit tight. What a croc! Destiny?! Fate?! He didn't believe in that crap! He carved out his own future! His own reason of existence! Why!? Why did a stupid, fucking devil fruit like that have to exist?! And why did they have to interact with it! Though Zoro was aware that it really wasn't the cook's fault, a part of him really wanted to put all the blame on him and just fight it out. 

"If you two fight, I will leave," the woman declared, making both men freeze and slowly look over at her. She glared at them, her expression that of a stern mother as the two relaxed and stood to face her properly as they awkwardly shifted their feet.

"Stupid cook," Zoro muttered.

"Shit for brains," Sanji shot back, which had both suddenly turning their heads and hissing at one another like a couple of disturbed cats. 

"Boy, I can tell that you two have a long way to go. But, my power is absolute. There is no mistake. You two are each others' true love," the woman announced, drawing both men to once again turn their heads to look at her properly.

"So... maybe I asked wrong. You can't "fix" our fate. Fine. But can you remove this damn thread?" Zoro asked and the woman shook her head.

"No. The only way for that thread to vanish, is for the two of you to become one, in whichever way is most honest and true," she answered and Sanji quirked a curled brow.

"Eh? Become one? That's sorta cryptic," he said and the woman nodded.

"Well, I am a fortune teller. It'd be cheating if I told you everything. It's part of your trial, to figure out and understand what you two mean to each other, and who you are as a unit. Until then, you will both be stuck together," she explained and Zoro burst forward.

"The hell lady! We can't live like this! It's been bad enough already! What if we're in battle?! We're pirates! You saying we have to figure out how to fight stuck together?!" Zoro snapped as Sanji's expression filled with shadow and his brows drew low together, his eyes darkening with a glare.

"Zoro, back off and lower your voice," he ordered and Zoro snorted over his shoulder at the blonde.

"Doesn't this bother you more?! We're going to be stuck together 24/7!" Zoro snapped as the blonde grabbed the swordsman's shoulder, his grip surprisingly strong. Immediately Zoro realized he had stepped into some legitimate no-no territory with the chef and after a brief stare down, gave a grunt and pulled back as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Fine. This is all your fault anyway. You had better take responsibility," Zoro grumbled and the blonde sighed as he ran his hand back through his hair and looked behind him to where Zoro had retreated.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. This whole shit fest is my fault. I'm not even sure I'm able to fully comprehend all of this right now. My brain feels fried. But, I guess we're stuck together," Sanji said with a mournful sigh. He slid his hands into his slack pockets and looked back to the woman to find, she was gone. Both men gave cries of alarm as they stared at the simple table that sat, unoccupied. 

"Shit, she's fast!" Sanji cried.


	4. One One End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In light of the new information shared by the woman who ate the fate fate fruit, Sanji struggles to fully be able to accept the change to his life and the implications of the golden thread.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is so short, sorry guys. But, I really liked the way the chapter ended and wanted to leave it as it was (trying to appease my writing muse). I also want to use this spot here to acknowledge that yes, I have been gone, but I think I'm ready to start writing fanfics again. Previously I came to realize that I was trying to jump head first into a strong current but I was no longer able to swim as well as I needed to, but I kept trying to force myself... as a result, I started to drown. I wrote a post on tumblr explaining in more detail, and I'll post it at the end of the chapter here for those who want more information. But suffice to say, I am going to be writing again, but I'm going to be taking it easier on myself via writing in ways that help me be more productive. When I've had issues previously, writing short chapters and not stressing about what stories to update and when allowed me to regain my foothold and play ball in a way that I was satisfied with and even improved upon, so I'm going to be doing that again. Which is why the chapter here is short, because I really liked how it closed and wanted to keep it that way even though it's short. I expect chapters to lengthen naturally as I write and get back into the groove of things, but I'm not going to try and push or rush. 
> 
> Anyway, sorry about that. I've been just terrible in keeping contact with those of you who take the time read anything I post. And I'm really sorry about that. I've never been very good at keeping in contact with people. DX
> 
> Anyway, with that out of the way, even though it's short, I hope that the chapter has some decent enjoyment.
> 
> I do not own One Piece or any of its related materials.

Sanji bolted upright, gasping desperately for breath as heavy beads of sweat spilled down his face. The blonde doubled over, face stark white other than the blood red that lit up his cheeks as he clutched his shirt tightly over his heart. It pounded so hard, painfully so as a powerful chill brushed over his skin. His eyes were blown open wide and pupils dilated as the blonde twitched and looked over to his left where he currently sat on the gym's cushioned seats. Zoro was asleep against their base, body stretched out wide, completely at ease and ignorant of any possible threats. His mouth was open wide as snoring rumbled from the back of his throat. Sanji shuddered and grit his teeth tightly as his hands clapped onto his forearms and dug into the fabric of his shirt. The emotion that reflected in those alarmed eyes was pure horror, reducing him to a quivering ball. The blonde squeezed his eyes shut, biting back a curse when he realized how tight his slacks were around his crotch. Even in such a state, his body still clearly remembered what he'd seen, the abject horror of the images and actions that took place deep within the insane confines of his mind. A part of the dream came to the forefront of his mind and goosebumps broke out over his body as he shuddered again. Nope, nope. Sanji shook his head fervently. He could still feel it, the weight of the gold thread pressed around his pinky finger, and he knew if he opened his eyes he could follow its path with his eyes, leading him down to the floor where the resident green haired moron slept. So unaware, so innocent. It was because of that thread, because of the foretelling of their fate, that was what did it. Even though Sanji knew damn well he had not been thinking anything like _that_ when he'd gone to sleep, but somehow the events of the day before had somehow caused him to conjure up such imaginings. How could his mind betray him like that? Even worse, how could his damned body betray him?! Surely it didn't meant anything, right?

It wasn't fair! Though truth be told, if it really was their fate, if all the lady did was expose what was already there, did that mean they were always going to end up... together? It was hard to even imagine at this stage of the game. He had never really given much thought to actually wanting to be with another guy, he had always liked women. So why? How? How was he supposed to fall in love with the marimo? Especially when he hadn't already? Sanji was always quick to fall in love, so if he was going to love the guy, wouldn't he have known already? Dammit, why did that dream have to happen? The thought of a naked swordsman riding his dick was as shocking as it had been pleasurable... well, it hadn't been shocking in his dream. It had seemed so natural, like they had performed the dance so many times, no awkwardness, no talk, just pure and clear body language. It felt like they knew what each other was thinking and moved to the beat. Sanji felt a chill rush down his back and held his breath a moment before releasing it when his cock gave a throb. Dammit, his dick was still hard and even if he had wanted to, he couldn't do anything about it. Privacy was a thing of the past, even going to the bathroom was going to be a pain with either one of them going to have to be against the bathroom door while the other did their business. Baths were always going to be shared too. 

He cast a sidelong glance at Zoro again, snoring away. Well, it was time to try and have a change in perspective. There was nothing they could do about it, they were literally stuck together until they figured out how to handle their relationship. It wasn't like it was something they could fake to make go away, the golden thread would be present until they "became one". The phrase brought the memory of Sanji's dream back and he coughed as his face filled with blood. Would having sex make it go away? But if they did have sex just to make it leave, would it actually disappear? Sanji had a feeling that it was more about what was in their hearts and minds than anything else. Which really... with the two of them... made the future of being untethered look bleak. Zoro was a dense moron and Sanji knew he was guilty of being incredibly stubborn on a good day when it came to the marimo. 

"Cook?" Sanji twitched a little in surprise as he looked over to see the swordsman groggily sit up and look up at him as he ran a hand through his hair.

"It's the middle of the night, need to pee?" Zoro asked, and the blonde frowned at him as the marimo gave a large yawn.

"No, I don't," Sanji bit out and Zoro stared at him a moment, still groggy.

"Poop?" he asked, and the chef bristled.

"No! You crude idiot!" the cook hissed, and Zoro glowered up at the blonde before giving a dismissive grunt.

"Fine, just trying to be thoughtful, pervy cook," he grumbled as he dropped back onto his futon and rolled over, pulling the golden thread taut.

"Oi, idiot, don't do that," the blonde grumbled.

"Do what," Zoro muttered and anger needled the blonde.

"Being a petulant brat," Sanji spat, and Zoro gave an indignant snort.

"Right, me, a petulant brat, says the brat," the swordsman shot back, and the blonde's shoulders tensed. Oh, screw it! How could he ever get close to such a guy?! Frustration whirled violently inside the blonde as his anger spiked. He wanted to fight, wanted to kick and smash everything around him, particularly the marimo's stupid face. Sanji's face shook and twisted in his disapproval as his lips dipped into a humongous frown that dimpled his chin, which he aimed at the swordsman's back. He wanted to say something, to scream. How could Zoro be so fucking calm about all this?! Sure, he had been upset beforehand, but once he found out that the string couldn't be gotten rid of, he just stopped caring! How the fuck could he be okay with this?! Didn't he realize that they were stuck together forever?! Unless he opened up his big stupid mouth and started showing that he cared, how could Sanji ever expect to make any progress in anything?! Were they just fucking doomed or something?! After a long moment of willing Zoro to look at his disapproving face, Sanji let if fall away and heaved a heavy sigh as his head dropped and his shoulders sagged forward while he pulled his legs up and crossed his ankles.

"We gotta do something, Zoro. We can't stay like this forever. But I really don't see how I could ever love a guy like you," he bemoaned, his voice rough in his growing frustration. Zoro remained on his side, the thread remained taut between them, and not a word left him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's what I wrote on tumblr (for a better explanation on what I'm going to be doing with writing)
> 
> Hey guys. This isn’t going to be all that detailed or anything (it’s a lie). But I’m just going to say a few things here. I’ve dropped off the face of the earth… again… I’m really bad at keeping contact and I’m sorry. DX The reason I did was mainly that I felt really bad that I couldn’t keep up with my promises to you guys and whatnot and became extremely disappointed in myself and thus frustrated. So, at the moment I will make no promises until I’m feeling stronger in that department (mainly on production levels).
> 
>  
> 
> However, I am letting you guys know that I am going to start writing again (I feel I’m ready provided I just go at whatever flow is feeling good to me at the moment). But there’s a few things I wanna say about my absence. I had to take a break from One Piece, not a break from loving the show, Sanji/Zoro, any of you or anything like that, but I realized that I kept trying to force myself to write when I wasn’t ready after my absence, and then tried force myself to watch the show to further force myself to write, and it was proving to be detrimental. So I took an intentional break where I didn’t read or watch anything OP related to let my mind cleanse itself of the negativity I had built up due to trying to force myself to do things faster than I was ready.
> 
>  
> 
> But, that said, I’m going to start doing some writing again, and I feel I have to say these things to make sure I don’t try to force myself to do them again. The last time I hit a really bad roadblock in writing (crippling anxiety that made me unable to write for a while), writing short chapters and not adhering to a strict schedule allowed me to climb out of my proverbial hole. Which is what I’m going to do again. So, I’m not going to promise what stories I’ll be updating (I’ll be updating stories that my muse points to), I don’t want to back myself into a corner again. Also, chapters will be shorter for a while, but should lengthen naturally as I get more into my groove and confident. I’ve not given up on any of my stories, though I may take a look at some that I started for the sake of trying to write at something, and try to decide what to do, but I’m not going to stress myself about it right now. There will be some updates soon. I miss you guys, and I miss One Piece, and I think I might be ready to engage again… at my own pace. Gotta remind myself of that. Lol
> 
>  
> 
> …that was not short and simple. Sorry.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Is it just me or am I writing weird?


	5. And the Other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zoro reflects on Sanji's parting words before the two decide to figure out a new life pattern rather than wallowing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! I got a new chapter out here! Thank you so much to everyone who has shown support! It really means a lot. I hope this next chapter is all right.
> 
> I do not own One Piece or any of its related materials.

Well, it would be a total lie to say that what the cook said hadn't struck a chord. A particularly painful one. Surely, as cliches go, Zoro knew he filled out one particular storyline all too well. While it was truly inconvenient and annoying to be tethered to the cook, when he heard what the fortune teller woman said, it had honestly lit a fire in a part of his heart that he had been trying to keep out. To imagine, the person that you have long cherished was and is your true love? Though Zoro had never contemplated or used the word 'love' to describe his feelings around the cook he knew that he liked him far more than anyone else, wanted to be around him, enjoyed their physical and verbal matches. 

There was just this energy around the chef and drew Zoro to him, though the swordsman frequently resisted the urge and did everything he could to put distance between them if anything because he never wanted the blonde to figure anything out. After all, he liked women and he most definitely hated him. Out of everyone in the crew, Zoro was the one that always managed to draw out his ire no matter how he had tried to avoid it, though admittedly, he wasn't always innocent in being the reason for the blonde's aggression. Still, the chef made it clear from day one that they were not compatible, at the very least they were hated rivals, and at most they were rivals that did not actively wish for the downfall of the other, despite the empty threats that were thrown around. 

It was unbelievable, how could the cook be his true love? Was the blonde's attitude his hurdle to overcome like the woman mentioned? Should he even try? But, if he did not, then they would probably end up dead thanks to that golden thread. Though, Zoro supposed if he was about to die because of the thing he could cut his finger off and free the cook. The thought was rather depressing. Before Zoro even realized it, the chef had gone back to sleep, the golden thread forcing his hand to rest over the edge of the gym seat with slight elevation. Rolling back over slowly, he allowed the blonde's hand to come to a natural rest and stared. 

The idea of falling in love, though the notion was a little awkward due to how little Zoro had truly pondered on what his feelings about the cook meant since at most he had believed it to be a crush. What was love like? Was it useful? Would it get in the way of his dream? Would it make him stronger? Would it hinder the cook or make him stronger? The blonde's words echoed in his head and Zoro frowned, brow tensing as he watched the cook sleep so peacefully. Could the pervy cook ever love him? How could they ever come together? They could fight together, they had before... sort of. But fighting together wasn't the same thing as coming together in love, was it? Dammit. It really was frustrating, to be bound together. It was easier to just ignore his feelings. Perhaps he should think about doing things differently, take a new perspective and try to figure out some way of easing the cook's irritation. Zoro wasn't exactly sure why the blonde had been so pissy when he'd asked if he needed to use the bathroom, knowing that only made the prospect of their coming together seem rather impossible. Sanji was more refined and well... Zoro was more a brute. Could such opposing sensibilities every work together? As such thoughts swirled around his mind his eyes grew heavy and eventually, he drifted off into sleep.

 

 

"Oi! Wake up!" Zoro jerked away, his snoring cutting short as he snapped his eyes up to the cook's scowling face.

"Wha-" he garbled as the blonde jabbed his finger against the swordsman's forehead.

"Up, up! I gotta get started on breakfast! If we're going to do this, then we gotta cooperate with each other! I'm the cook, so I gotta cook, right?" Sanji said as he stepped back to allowed the other to sit upon his hands. With a slight shake of his head to fully wake Zoro heaved a sigh and stood up as well, grabbed his swords as he did so, and slid them home at his hip. 

"Fine, fine, you cook and I'll stand around doing nothing," he grumbled as he followed a freshly dressed blonde to the hatch.

"Yeah, we're gonna have to figure something out about bathroom business, sleeping, chores, and, ah shit that's a fucking pain. We got five feet to make use of, so let's use it," Sanji declared as he started down first with Zoro right after. Despite their attempts to remain close, however, the two had to move in the same coordinated way down the ladder they found they had to beforehand so as to avoid pulling their hands off the rope and slipping... which had happened the day before. Which taught Zoro something invaluable-the blonde had bony joints, and they fucking _hurt_.

"You're fired up today," Zoro noted, and the blonde gave a grunt when they reached the deck and started for the stairs to the galley.

"I would think you would be too. Yesterday was depressing as fuck, but we gotta work with what we've got," Sanji declared as he threw a smirk over his shoulder. "Surely the big strong marimo can handle a little day planning," he jabbed and the swordsman gave a snort as he returned the blonde's smirk, finding, as usual, his spirits lifting with the cook's infectious aura. It was almost dazzling.

"I just hope you got the energy and drive to do what needs to be done. I'm going to train whether you like it or not," Zoro shot back, and the black gave a short chuckle.

"Right, right. You spend so much time training your muscles it's no wonder you're so brain dead," Sanji added, and the larger of the two glowered at the blonde's back, which induced an ever-expanding grin from the chef. "Besides, wouldn't having me as your opponent be the best training you could ask for?"

"Must be nice to live in such a delusional world," Zoro grunted as they entered through the galley door and into the kitchen area where Sanji expertly began to pull out the supplies and foods he needed. Ham and eggs, huh? Like times previous Zoro leaned back against the wall and tried to stay out of the way as he crossed his arms over his stomach and lowered his head. Well, at the very least, he knew exactly what some parts of the day were going to be like. He could maybe get used to it... once he got used to an unfortunately pre-set sleep pattern. Fucking golden thread.

"Good morning, Sanji-kun."

"Nami-swan~" Zoro's face tensed as a large frown dipped his lips. Could he get used to this?


End file.
